Comparison of Tactical Data links
As a military Tactical Data Link, Link-16 has many benefits:
Link-16 also has some limitations:
Two other common Tactical Data Links are Link-11 and Common Data Link (CDL).[6] Link-11 is an earlier Tactical Data Link which is similar to Link-16. It has a capacity of 2.25 kbps, compared to Link-16, which has a capacity from 54 kbps up to 238 kbps.[5] Link-11 has a maximum range of 300 miles, while Link-16 can transmit up to 500 miles.[18] Because of its newer technology and increased performance, Link-16 has replaced Link-11 in many applications. A more recent military Data Link is CDL. It provides much more capacity than Link-16 with a capacity of up to 274 Mbps. It was designed primarily for use with UAVs, which need to send high resolution video and imagery.[19] Even though Link-16 is slower than CDL, it is still in use today. Because it has been a standard for so long, it can be found in most military devices that exchange tactical information. It would be extremely expensive to replace all of these systems, so Link-16 is still in use for the time being.
- Secure - Link-16 uses frequency hopping and spread spectrum modulation to prevent eavesdropping of messages.[15]
- Jam Resistance - Because of the relatively wide frequency range, it is difficult to block the entire network.
- Line of Sight Transmission - Vehicles can communicate directly with each other up to 500 mi without needing a base station.[7]
Link-16 also has some limitations:
- Because Link-16 is about 35 years old, it is complex and expensive.[6]
- The transmission security is a trade for a lower data rate. However, because Link-16 is used primarily to send text information, not video feeds, it still has sufficient capacity for this application.[7]
- Link-16 is not designed to communicate with other radio networks, so it is limited to devices with Link-16 terminals.[21]
Two other common Tactical Data Links are Link-11 and Common Data Link (CDL).[6] Link-11 is an earlier Tactical Data Link which is similar to Link-16. It has a capacity of 2.25 kbps, compared to Link-16, which has a capacity from 54 kbps up to 238 kbps.[5] Link-11 has a maximum range of 300 miles, while Link-16 can transmit up to 500 miles.[18] Because of its newer technology and increased performance, Link-16 has replaced Link-11 in many applications. A more recent military Data Link is CDL. It provides much more capacity than Link-16 with a capacity of up to 274 Mbps. It was designed primarily for use with UAVs, which need to send high resolution video and imagery.[19] Even though Link-16 is slower than CDL, it is still in use today. Because it has been a standard for so long, it can be found in most military devices that exchange tactical information. It would be extremely expensive to replace all of these systems, so Link-16 is still in use for the time being.
[Image credit: Meis and Doi]